The Legend of the Bionicle Book 1: The Quest for the Masks
by The Legend of the Bionicle
Summary: This is book one in what I hope to be is my own personal synopsis of the bionicle canon. I will change a few details, but the plot should be the same. This focuses on Takua and his adventures during the original MNOG.
1. Prologue

_Gathered friends, listen again to our legend of the Bionicle. In a time before time, the Great Spirit, Mata Nui, fell from the heavens, carrying we, the ones called the Matoran. We were separate, and without purpose, so the Great Spirit illuminated us with the three virtues: Unity, Duty, and Destiny! We embraced these gifts, and in gratitude we named our island home Mata Nui, after the Great Spirit himself. But our happiness was not to last. For Mata Nui's brother, the Makuta, was jealous of these honors and betrayed him, casting a spell over Mata Nui, who fell into a deep slumber. The Makuta was free to unleash his shadows. And unleash them, he did._

Prologue

Takua was running from something. From what exactly, he did not know, but the sound of trees being leveled behind him and horrifying snarl continually reminded him that he ought not stop running. Running, however, didn't come naturally to him. Having lived most his life around lava flows, he was far more partial to jumping. Come to think of it, though, did he really spend most of his life there? It was hard to say. Unlike most Matoran, he didn't really have a home. He'd lived everywhere, though he was technically supposed to live in Ta-Koro, above the lava flows.

KRRRRAAAA-SMMAAASSSSH!

Takua remembered he had to keep running. He found it unusual that the creature behind him was so keen on catching him. There was plenty of larger, slower, and easier prey in this jungle. Perhaps it was attracted to Takua's precious cargo. Six stones. The village elders, the Turaga, had told him to take these stones to the Kini Nui, the main temple on the island. Unfortunately, en-route, Takua was intercepted by what he could only assume was a Muaka tiger; a 6 meter tall predator that could quite effortlessly swallow the 1 meter tall Matoran whole. Takua began to recognize the manner in which the trees bent. He was close to the temple.  
The temple was a circular stone disk in the ground, with 6 totems equally spaced on the circumference. Each totem had a small indent in it, perfectly sized for the stones. Takua ran up the steps to the stone disk, and quickly placed the stones into the indentations. The tiger then appeared, and reared onto its hind legs, preparing to strike Takua down. As Takua placed the last stone, a bright light appeared in the center of the temple. Takua turned to face his attacker, and pulled out his only weapon to defend himself – a bamboo throwing disk. The light grew, however, and suddenly flashed brighter than the sun. Simultaneously, Takua was thrown far into the air, landing clear on the other side of the island. The tiger presumably was injured severely, but Takua had escaped either way.


	2. Chapter One: Ta-Koro

Chapter One: Ta-Koro

Takua awoke to find himself on a white beach. His head was in incredible pain, and at first he couldn't figure out why. As he managed to begin to look around, however, he noticed that his mask had fallen off. Masks – every Matoran and Turaga wore them, however the Turaga's masks gave them limited power. Takua's memory slowly came back to him. However, the exact events leading up to his lying maskless on a beach were still totally lost. He reached out his red arm to grab the pale blue mask.

Re attaching the mask to his face, he inspected his bright yellow feet. His colouration was always odd for a Ta-Matoran. Although red and yellow were normal among his fiery brethren, blue was unheard of outside of Ga-Koro. He always was amused by this, since he never fit in anywhere at any time. It was his most defining aspect. Finding himself in a respectable physical condition, he stood up, and faced the black stone mountains. There was a large carving in it, matching perfectly one from his memory. He was near Ta-Koro, his least favourite place on Mata-Nui. He brushed the sand off his body and began to walk towards Ta-Koro. He wanted answers, and Vakama, Ta-Koro's village elder, probably had them.

As he began to walk in the direction he recalled his village to be in, something caught his eye. Reeling towards the pristine ocean, something that in know way matched up with his memory came into his vision. It had been right behind him as he had laid on the beach, unconscious, and still he hadn't noticed it. It was a large metallic cylinder, About twice as tall as the Matoran and four times as long. It had washed up on the beach, and judging by the large amount of algae clinging to its smooth side, it had been adrift a very long time. The end of the cylinder facing Takua was rounded off, and had 6 dark holes in its surface. Takua approached the strange object, and touched it. As soon as he did, the holes began to glow. He backed away, startled.

The rounded portion blasted off, revealing that the object was a canister of sorts. Dozens of parts, big and small, began to pour out of the object. Takua stood in awe as the grey parts began to assemble themselves into a figure slightly over two meters tall. The figure reached down to pick up what Takua recognized to be a mask. The figure inspected it briefly, before donning it. As soon as the mask was in place, the figure began to glow brightly. It was no longer grey; now it was bright red with orange highlights, and it carried a flaming sword in its right hand. It turned to face Takua, its pale red eyes inspecting the much shorter onlooker. Seemingly taking no interest, it turned away from Takua and began to walk in the direction opposite of what Takua had recently taken. Takua stood, watching the figure as he marched off to the distance. Takua couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, this figure was linked to his mysterious arrival on the beach.

Takua began to walk towards Ta-Koro again, this time with a few more questions for Vakama. He climbed the black rocks, jumping the occasional lava flow or pool. Takua enjoyed this exercise, even though he began to realize that literally every component of his body was sore. The Matoran finally reached the bridge that functioned as the only entrance to Ta-Koro. This was possible because Ta-Koro rested upon a large island in the middle of the lava lake. As if this defense wasn't enough, Ta-Koro was surrounded by large stone walls, with one large steel gate facing the bridge. Ta-Koro, the village of fire, had an unusual attraction to defense, even before the wildlife, or rahi of the island got violent.

Takua approached the gate, and as usual it opened for him. Also consistent with previous visits, the guards glared at him as he walked into the bustling city. Once inside, he breathed in the hot air, smiling at the familiar sounds of the shops and forges. Takua never felt at home here. He never felt at home anywhere, to be honest, but Ta-Koro amused him always since he was always told that he should feel at home here. He loved to hate the place. He absolutely loved it.

He meandered around, slowly. He wanted to embrace every dismal detail of it. Every identical hemispherical house. Every red and yellow Matoran running around finding their duty. Takua knew about the three virtues, but was not much of a fan. He was indifferent to unity, despised duty, and figured destiny would catch him either way. He found the Turaga's home, and entered it. The Turaga was in the center of the room, staring into a fire. The effect was quite eerie, as the fire cast a dark shadow over the already aged mask and bent body of Vakama. "Greetings, traveller," spoke the elderly being, "What brings you to me, Takua? I am busy with prophecy and, sadly, have little time to spare."

"Prophecy, sir?" Takua inquired. The relationship between the two was unique among Takua's relations in that Vakama was accepting of Takua's inability to remain in one place for any length of time. Vakama was like a father to him, and certainly the closest thing Takua had to a friend.

"Yes. It seems my task for you went just excellently! The Toa have indeed arrived!"

With that one word, "Toa," it all came back to Takua. He had been given the task of summoning the Toa to the island, legendary warriors, each capable of controlling one of the six elements; fire, water, stone, earth, air, and ice. That's how he'd ended up on the beach an hour ago. After taking the six Toa stones to the Kini Nui, and doing so hopefully summoned the six heroes. An explosion had flung him to the beach, and consequently saved his hide from the rampant Muaka. Which was sort of odd, actually, that a rahi almost caused the mission to fail, since the reason for summoning the toa was to combat the increasing threat the rahi were posing. Animal attacks might sound too trivial to have to summon legendary warriors for, but the rahi attacks were island-wide and the destruction had been catastrophic. Ta-Koro was more obsessed with defense than usual, Takua recalled."Right, sir!" Takua proudly smiled back. "I did it! And, I think I met one. On the beach."

"You did? Describe what you met for me."

"Well, it came in a metal canister, and was about two meters tall. It carried a flaming sword and…"

"Indeed. You saw Tahu, Toa of fire. A very powerful figure of legend, capable of bending fire to his will. And his mask – ha! If you think Turaga masks are powerful, wait until you see Toa masks. Tahu wears the mask of shielding, the Hau. He can protect himself from almost any attack with it. Indeed, he'll need it to save himself from a Tarakava punch, Indeed!"

"So, they're all ready to protect us?"

"Sadly, no. They have no memory at all of who they are or what they're duty to the Matoran is. And even if they did, the prophecy has been expanded. In order to defeat Makuta, they will need to collect masks of power hidden around the island. But, the legend is finally going to happen. Oh, how glorious it is!"

"Well, sir, I'm glad to see that, sure. Well, I came to ask questions but I think I have my answers. Thank you, Vakama." Takua was about to turn to leave when Vakama interjected.

"Takua, legends are being made. The island has been without a chronicler for some time now, and now more than ever do we need one. I ask you to take up this duty. It would suit your travelling nature."

Takua was stunned. He'd never been good at jobs, and consequently never been asked to do one. "I'll do my best, sir."

"Record it on the wall of history when the rahi are defeated. May Mata Nui, even in his slumber, watch over you in your travels!"

Takua thanked Vakama again, and left. Chronicler. This was a big deal! He was now in charge of the history of the Toa! He practically ran out of the city. For the first time in his life he had a duty that he was excited about! He felt that he could even defeat Makuta in his glee. Well, he didn't really think that. He didn't believe Makuta was real, and was even more skeptical about Mata-Nui. The legends were fun, but he never took them seriously. There was no practical evidence that either was real. The only real threat to the Matoran were the rahi, not some powerful Makuta. And Mata-Nui never really saved anyone. Vakama, however, was devout enough you'd think he'd seen Makuta put Mata-Nui to sleep. Takua trusted Vakama on many things, but religion was nonetheless not one of them.

Takua ran, and both because he had no idea where he was going, and because he was too excited about his new job, he found himself lost in a blackened, burnt forest. Takua turned around, hoping he'd see the way out, but found himself totally surrounded by the scorched trees. Takua panicked, and began running again, this time out of fear. There was something dark about the forest. Something evil that he could not place, but feared immensely nonetheless. He would've kept running, except that he almost ran over a fellow Matoran in his panic. Kapura, was his name. He was solid red, with bright, kind yellow eyes. Kapura was well known for his slow, deliberate nature, and occasional moments of fantastic wisdom. "Kapura… what are you doing… here?"

"I am practicing, Takua. Vakama says I must practice." Kapura said this while continuing what he was doing, pacing, as if Takua had never shown up.

"What?" Takua retorted?

"I am practicing to feel the presence of Makuta. I feel him strongest here. Vakama says I must practice."

Takua shrugged. Religion was fine on Vakama, but in others it just pissed him off. "Well, have fun with that. Do you know the way out of here?"

"It's a shame you won't practice with me. However, it's that way," said Kapura as he identified the location with his staff.

"Well, thanks." Takua walked off in the direction Kapura had indicated. Kapura was a member of the Ta-Koro Guard, the defense force of the village of fire. Takua hated Guard members, not only because they were mostly cocksure dimwits looking for a fight, but mostly because of their leader, Jalla. Jalla was the leader not only of the Guard, but the anti-Takua club. And, unfortunately, unlike most of his fellow guard, he was pretty intelligent, too, meaning his insults and pranks on Takua were stabbing at the mildest. Takua pondered on one of Jalla's more demeaning pranks, involving a Ruki fish, as he found himself back near the entrance of Ta-Koro.

The excitement from his new position had worn off, and he decided to go back to the Canister and see what he could find. After all, this was the one place he knew he'd find something relating to the Toa. After a long, peaceful walk as the sun set, he came across the canister again. The matoran inspected it for markings of any sort, and coming up disappointed, he noticed that Toa Tahu had left footprints in the sand. He followed them until he could no longer track them since the sand had given way to the black rock that was common on this region of the island. He turned towards the ocean, and sat down, wondering what he'd do next. He recalled that the astrologer's telescope was nearby.

Takua never had a knack for investigative stargazing, but he figured it was worth a shot. He walked along the beach in the same direction for a while longer, and upon finding the long stairwell leading to machine, began to assend. The telescope was a metallic arm, with a hook at the end of it carrying a bright red crystal. Picking up a star chart left from a previous visitor, Takua looked into the apparatus. Comparing what he saw to the chart, he noticed something interesting. Six new stars had appeared in the sky. Takua was indeed startled, and had no idea what to make of it. But he was sure it had something to do with the arrival of the six Toa.


	3. Chapter Two: Ga-Koro

Chapter Two: Ga-Koro

The Ocean of Tragedy

Takua found himself with much to ponder. The six Toa had arrived, were on some quest or other, and it was his fault, according to Vakama. He had seen a Toa, and he didn't exactly seem friendly. He wondered if summoning them was, in fact a wise move.

Takua sat on the edge of the telescope platform, staring out across the wide, endless ocean. The ocean that bore the Toa to these shores. But Toa don't just come from nothing. They came from the sky, according to legend. Nothing made sense about that, though. There was much to consider.

Takua watched the sun set over the horizon. The telescope was a lovely view for this, and Mata Nui had some gorgeous sunsets. He had nothing to compare them to, obviously, but he definitely knew they were gorgeous. The pale red of the sun contrasted sharply with the dark tropical leaves of the Island. Takua faintly smiled. It had been one hell of a day and he still had no idea what was going on. But he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy a good sunset. He closed his eyes, and let the last bit of heat wash across his blue face. He liked the heat of the light of the sun far more than the heat of Ta-Koro. It was a more soothing heat, he thought. Less belligerent, in a sense. More willing to accept others. Accept people like himself, who could never find a situation where they felt accepted. Not that he necessarily deserved that acceptance, anyways. He never worked. He had difficulty with other Matoran. But the sun's light accepted him, he thought. And he appreciated that.

"Help! Somebody HELP!"

Takua snapped back to reality with a start. The sun had fully set, and it was dark. The scream had come from the beach almost directly below the telescope. "Finally." Thought Takua, "I can put this duty as Chronicler to work!" He ran down the steep stairwell, careful not to trip in the dim light. Everything had a blue wash to it, and the moon illuminated much, but it was still pretty dark. He stumbled into the sand, and finally saw who had cried. A Matoran was standing on the beach, pacing. She had arrived in a boat, and seemed viscerally troubled about something. "HELP! WE'VE BEEN AMBUSHED! HELP! PLEASE!"

Takua ran over to the Matoran. "I'm the Chronicler. Is there anything I can do?" Takua immediately realized that the Chronicler wasn't exactly a duty that could help a hapless Matoran. He reminded himself of this as the blue Matoran responded.  
"Oh Mata Nui, it's awful. Shards of Kanohi strewn about everywhere. It's a… Oh why couldn't I have been there…"

"Calm down," insisted Takua, "If I'm going to help, I need to know exactly what's going on."

The Matoran looked at him as if he had just insulted her. "I will be calm once that MONSTER IS PUT TO DEATH FOR THE RAMPANT DESTRUCTION IT CAUSED TO MY HOME AND IF YOU CAN'T HELP ME, PLEASE, IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD GET SOMEONE WHO CAN!"

"I can help," insisted Takua, "I'm sorry. I'm not great at this. What happened, please?"

The Matoran calmed, albeit slightly. "A Tarakava attacked Ga-Koro. Many of my sisters died, and more were injured. Those that could get away… Are nowhere to be found."

"And, what can I do?"

"I can drive you to the beach in my boat. There you can enter the city, and find my sisters and Turaga Nokama. After I drop you off, I'll go find Gali, the Toa of water. Rumor has it she's on the island now. We'll need her. Anyways, if you want to help, we could arrive by morning. I hope we're not too late."

Takua agreed to the plan. He had stories to Chronicle, and these people needed help. He asked the Matoran her name.

"Maku, yours?"

"Takua."

They got in the boat. It rocked back and forth, but eventually steadied as she pushed it off shore. Maku paddled it faster and faster, though eventually the tide carried them where they needed to go. "So, you're the new Chronicler?" she inquired.

"Yeah. Vakama gave me the title. It's the first duty I've ever really had."

"I assume you've been told to Chronicle the Toa. Why help us?"

"You need help, and, well, I have no idea where the Toa might even remotely be."

Maku nodded slowly. She seemed very perturbed, and in deep thought.

"How bad is the destruction in Ga-Koro?" inquired Takua.

"How bad can you imagine it? Because it's twice that. It's almost gone. It'll take months to rebuild, and so many of us are dead. Vhisola was smashed against the beach and…"

"It's okay. Just keep driving. I'm here to help."

"Sorry I snapped earlier. Thanks for helping, honestly. It really is fantastic of you. If Nokama is still alive, she will be certain to hold a ceremony in your honor."

Takua did not like the sound of a ceremony, but he let it pass. He had been in the boat for only an hour at this point, but still had already ceased to notice the rocking motion. The island was beautiful, though. The night made the trees and rocks seem all the more foreboding and majestic, and the speed of the boat served to make him more aware of the glistening ocean. He closed his eyes, and nodded off. If there was a Tarakava near Ga-Koro, he'd have to be extra alert tomorrow.

Takua opened his eyes. He could tell he'd rested for multiple hours, and felt quite rejuvenated. He stretched, and stood up as he realized the boat was no longer in motion. Maku was standing on the rear of the boat, tying up some line. "We just arrived," she said. "Look to your right, down the beach. You'll see Ga-Koro, or, what's left of it."  
Takua turned to look in the direction Maku suggested. He awoke with a start at the sight of it. Ga-Koro was arguably the most beautiful city on Mata-Nui, the only real competition being Le-Koro. The city was built atop numerous massive lily-pads, and each hemispherical hut was constructed of beautifully curved and warped leaves of the same plants. Inside each hut was a glass bulb hanging from the ceiling, with a phosphorescent jellyfish inside for light. Elegant construction and elegant design met at this apex of beauty. Takua was, however, expecting this. What surprised him was the degree to which Ga-Koro was no longer this way. Smoke billowed from every building, and the docks were entirely inaccessible, and smashed beyond recognition. Takua could faintly see what he hoped were not bodies of his fellow Matoran, but he knew the mechanical husks could be nothing but.

Takua wordlessly stepped out of the boat. Maku asked him what his plan was, if anything. "Go find a Toa," said Takua, "I'll try to find survivors."

"Good luck," replied Maku. She solemnly turned back towards the rigging, tying knots and choosing not to look at Takua or the city. Takua meandered toward the entrance to the city, located on the beach. As he rounded the bright rocks (the dark ones had given way to the much more welcoming bright ones of this end of the island) he saw the famous statue of the Kaukau mask pouring water into the bay. It was a tribute to Gali, Toa of water. He wondered if she would actually in any way appreciate the massive sculpture. If she were any bit like Tahu, from what he could tell, she probably wouldn't give a damn. He walked towards the gate, slowly, preparing himself for the horrors inside.

The ornate gate was remarkably unharmed, and the opening mechanism still functioned fine. The mechanism was old but understandable. It was a weight balance system, with a very specific set of stones sitting around the base of the gate being necessary to create the exact weight needed. It is certainly not the most elaborate or protective system, but it was enough to keep out the Rahi, which, arguably, was all that was needed.

Takua studied the stones carefully. He figured that if he could determine which stones were smooth from repeated handling, he could easily open the gate. A smaller stone had some noticeable wear, as did one of the larger stones. He placed these two into the scale, and noticed he needed a bit more weight. Adding a third smaller rock seemed to do the trick The gate opened rapidly, allowing Takua to step into the city.

He slowly marched down the narrow green path in the water, also constructed of massive leaves. Smoke billowed from the small domes. Takua walked warily closer, knowing that the sights coming were sure to be haunting. Just yesterday he had amnesia on a beach. Now he was about to attest to the deaths of dozens of Matoran as the Chronicler. Strange how quickly lives change.

He was correct to be afraid. Truly, the sight was horrific. Bodies were scattered everywhere, some perishing in the smoke from their domiciles, others bludgeoned by the Tarakava. The smell of burnt leaves permeated every inch of the air. Takua recognized one of the ruins to be larger. He proceeded towards it cautiously, not knowing what he'd find inside.

It was clearly Turaga Nokama's hut. The shrine to Gali gave this away, as did the generally higher standard of living. However, the latter was much harder to tell. The floor was sopping wet, because the large fluorescent jellyfish lamp on the ceiling was leaking; the creature inside was soon to be out of water. General rubble and debris covered the entirety of the building, certainly preventing it from being livable any time soon. Nokama was nowhere to be seen. Takua noted this meant at least she was not certainly dead, but he had little hope.

He approached the shrine, wondering if there might be anything for him to ascertain. Small, shattered pieces of ornate shells dusted the shrine, however, unbroken, was a massive lightstone, certainly from the mines of Onu-Koro. Its soft, yellow glow brought a necessary warmth to the otherwise cold destruction. Takua held it to his face, inspecting it. He kept it in his hand as he walked out of the home, back towards the death outside.

He continued on through the village, noting blue Matoran with different masks everywhere. Everything seemed too quiet. He noticed a long path on the outside of the village, leading to the machine of sorts. There was one building along the way towards the structure, and he opted to explore it later. As he approached the machine, he noticed a button on it. He pressed it, and noticed that two of the gears couldn't touch. There was an axle dead between them – obviously for another gear. He looked about the platform he was standing on. There was no sign of any gear, so he concluded the gear must've fallen into the ocean. As he was about to turn away, he heard a sharp plea, "Help!"

Takua turned rapidly, still seeing nothing. It was then he noticed a thin green rod sticking out of the water. He approached the rod, and heard the plea again. "Help! The pump is broken! We are trapped! HELP!"

"I'm here!" Takua responded, realizing the machine he was inspecting must be the pump, "I'm gonna try to fix the pump! Hold on!"

Takua turned, thinking of how he was going to go about fixing the machine. He couldn't just dive into the water. certainly, since he had no good sense of direction, so he'd have to find a more logical approach. He figured he'd start at the hut he passed on the way toward the pump.

Inside, Takua found a bright blue backpack. He took it, putting the lightstone inside, figuring no one else would need it. More interestingly, however, the structure had a massive, intentional circular hole in the center of the floor. Takua figured there was no better way to find the gear. He climbed into the hold, plunging into the depths of the ocean below.

This region couldn't have been more than 10 feet deep. It was intensely beautiful, though. Small ruki swam between the coral, while lavish cowrie shells dotted the grey, sandy bottom. Tall, bright green seaweed rippled through the currents. It was absolute serenity, far cry from the horrors above. Takua could hold his breath a good long while, but he'd need to surface eventually. He swam towards the submerged hut, figuring he ought to make sure whomever was in there was okay. He approached, and noticed a small window. Inside were easily a dozen Matoran, and the Turaga, all looking quite frightened. The one noticed Takua and cheered, pointing to the window. Takua gave a thumbs up, and swam away.

The gear was nowhere to be seen. The coral here was particularly large, and cast large shadows. Takua reached into his knapsack and brought out the lightstone. Almost immediately, he saw a glint out of the corner of his eye. Swimming toward it, he realized that it was the gear, hiding among some pale blue plants. He picked it up and swam to the surface. It was lucky he kept the lightstone, else he may have never noticed it.

He got out of the ocean and sprinted to the pump. He applied the gear and slammed his fist into the button. The machine began to come to life, and the submerged hut burst out to the surface. The Matoran inside poured out, all following Turaga Nokama. The elder approached Takua, and warmly smiled. "Thank you. We can never express truly our entire gratitude."

Takua thanked Nokama. "Well, it's my job," he shrugged. "Are you going to want this lightstone or backpack back? I picked them up, and I don't know to whom either belong."

"The lightstone is mine to give," responded Nokama, "And the knapsack you may keep as small reward for your deeds. May I ask, however, what is your job?"

"Chronicler. Newly appointed to follow the Toa. At your service, Turaga."

"Vakama seems to have selected wisely." Nokama smiled, and turned from Takua, about to address her Matoran. However, she was quickly knocked onto her front by a massive creature blasting its way forth from the depths of the ocean. The Turaga turned, pointing her trident towards the beast, but quickly recoiled in horror. The creature was a Tarakava, the very same one who destroyed Ga-Koro.

The Tarakava roared at the newly freed Matoran, standing high atop his stubby, scaly rear legs and brandishing his massive forward arms and jaws. She was large enough to bite a Matoran in two, and her current attitude suggested she was absolutely willing to do so. She reared backward, prepaing to strike the Turaga with her massive arm. The swing began, but just before it reached the hapless elder, a 6 ft. tall blue figure fell between the two adversaries, and faced the animal. The animal roared, bringing its other arm around to strike the newcomer. This, too, eas effortlessly blocked. The figure wielded two hooked weapons, and latched one around the arm of the beast. Swinging itself upward, it landed atop one of the nearby huts. The figure blocked another blow. The figure leapt forward, shooting an intense stream of boiling water. The beast screamed, scalded, and faced her attacker, who was now behind her.

The figure smirked, its transparent mask demonstrating a façade of confidence. It ran forward, jumping upward, and landing atop the creature's head. The creature thrashed, and the Matoran sprinted for cover. The figure jabbed its claws into the skull of the beast, and yanked. The beast screamed, and toppled towards the ocean, carrying both to the depths.

Takua and Nokama ran towards the edge of the leaf platform, peering into the depths. Suddenly, as they looked on, hoping their savior would return, the Tarakava again came out of the water, splashing all present. Nokama backed away in horror, preparing to hopelessly attempt to save her subjects.

The Tarakava, however, simply fell over, and revealed the figure to be standing atop her back, holding a decrepit mask in its blue claw, likely taken from the beast. The Matoran cheered, and Nokama approached this hero of the ocean. "We, the Ga-Matoran, are forever in your debt, Toa Gali."

Takua was stunned. This was a Toa, the legendary hero he was meant to track down! This was Gali! Takua had known that the Toa were impressive warriors, however, the effortless defeat of the Tarakava showed to him that, if possible, they were more powerful than he anticipated.

"Take a mask from one of your dead, and give it to this creature," instructed Nokama to the Matoran, "This creature is not at fault for its actions. It is as innocent as you or I. This mask – I feel the Makuta permeating its very structure, his dark spirit of shadow emanating from the cracks and rust."

"Are you sure that is wise, elder?" questioned Gali, "This beast did not hesitate to kill us before. Why should it halt its path of destruction upon waking up?"

"Have little fear, Toa. You may be powerful, but you are far from wise. I have experience with… Tragedies such as this. Trust my judgement."

Gali nodded, and took leave of the village, appreciating the thanks for her service. As quickly as she has appeared, she left. "TAKUA!"

Takua turned with a start, noticing Maku running towards him. She ran into him, practically toppling the both of them, and began to ramble almost incoherently. "You did it! They're safe! I found Gali. It seems she was just what you all needed! Oh, but thank you. Thank you, thank you!"

"Takua freed himself from her tight embrace and attempted to calm the excited Matoran down. As soon as this was done, Takua went to look for Nokama. He was sure there was something to be said, and certainly it would be rude to leave without talking to her, given the circumstances.

He found her in her hut, cleaning up shards of glass and shell. "Ah, Chronicler, it is good to see you. My thanks goes to you as to Gali. You freed us from a watery tomb, and ensured me and my sister's safety." Takua smiled, and nodded.

"It means a lot, to have your thanks. I just wanted to make sure there was nothing else you needed," Takua responded.

"No, not as of now. I am just… cleaning… Ah! But do go talk to Maku again, if you can bear it. I know she must have overwhelmed you upon seeing her. But I think she has another request of you. Her hut is adjacent to mine."

Takua graciously took his leave, and approached the nearest hut. Upon entering, he saw Maku, sitting quietly at a broken desk. "Hey," Takua interrupted.

"Oh! HEY! Hi… Sorry, about earlier. It was good to help saving my sisters. I'm much calmer now, but… Well, I'm not happy in my calm. I have a… friend… in Po-koro. Po-koro has been struck with plague, and I worry for his safety. If you could, please, go check up on him. His name is Huki, and he is so dear to me."  
Takua knew that name, and even if he hadn't, the large poster of Huki in her room would've been enough of a hint. Huki was the island master of the sport Koli, and had held the title for years. He agreed to aid Maku, and embraced her one last time before leaving. They parted ways, though Takua had a hunch he'd see her again.

Takua approached the damaged docks, where a boat was haphazardly parked. A Matoran, Marka, asked him if he wanted to travel anywhere, and informed him it would be free, as a matter of thanks.

"Thanks for the offer," Takua commented. "In fact, there is somewhere I need to go. Take me as close as you can to Po-Koro, with all the haste you may give to the Chronicler."


End file.
